Clinical Fellow - Advanced Immunotherapy & Cell Therapy Team

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

ORGANISATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
This post is for 40 hours per week to provide medical support to the Advanced Immunotherapy and Cell Therapy Team (AICT) by primarily acting as co-investigator on early phase clinical trials.

Role Purpose
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest Cancer Centre's in Europe covering a large population in North West England and seeing more than 14,000 new patients each year. The hospital is a designated teaching hospital of the University of Manchester and is the focal point of the Regional Cancer Network. It is also a CRUK designated major cancer research centre and combined with the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute and the University of Manchester comprises the Manchester Cancer Research Centre.

The Advanced Immunotherapy and Cell Therapy Team is specifically designed to facilitate delivery of complex and innovative therapies emerging in oncology. Facilities include inpatient beds, outpatient suites, trials pharmacy, laboratory and an administrative floor with short-term archiving, seminar room and monitoring rooms for external trials monitors. Clinical research and service work is closely integrated with laboratory research.

This is an exceptional opportunity in the Advanced Immunotherapy and Cell Therapy Team. We seek an ambitious, innovative individual to provide medical support to the consultants by primarily acting as co-investigator on a growing portfolio of early phase cell therapy and complex immunotherapy clinical trials. You will join a highly motivated and empowered workforce to increase research capacity and deliver innovative early phase research in compliance with Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) and Trust policy.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The medical establishment provides 1-2 Consultant Medical Oncologists.

DUTIES OF THE POST
• ROLE: The successful candidate will be recruited as a Senior Clinical Fellow in the Advanced Immunotherapy and Cell Therapy Team (AICT).
• RESEARCH: A diverse range of clinical research trials are in progress and, following training, the post holder will be expected to participate in these studies as a co-/sub-investigator. These include cellular therapy and bispecific antibody early phase trials.
You will be involved in managing all aspects of trial patients, across a diverse range of solid tumours, through new patient consultation, consent and screening patients and reviewing patients at follow-up appointments. Primarily, patients are seen in the outpatient setting but with some inpatient cover. The appointee is required to attend 5 trial outpatient clinics per week (see indicative timetable).
You will be expected to attend Safety Review Committee meetings (usually remotely) to discuss trial patients. This will involve close liaison with the trial Principal Investigators, referring consultant body across the Trust and other members of the team. In addition, you will interface with external stakeholders such as CROs and pharmaceutical sponsors.
You will be expected to attend monthly molecular tumour board meetings to discuss trial patients and to agree opportunities for patients to enroll in early phase trials.
• PROTOCOLS: You will be expected to undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of their patients. You will be encouraged to harness opportunities to be involved in the development and planning of new studies.
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: You will maintain a level of continuing professional development consistent with the recommendations of the Royal College of Physicians. Appropriate arrangements for study leave will be made in conjunction with colleagues. There is the potential to present research work and the post holder will be expected to be involved in audit, writing papers and reviews. You will also be required to undergo an annual appraisal.
• TEACHING COMMITMENT:
a) Undergraduate
You will be required to contribute to the undergraduate teaching of medical students on oncology topics.
b) Postgraduate
Through collaboration with University of Manchester the team supports a busy postgraduate teaching programme and staff are often requested to lecture on relevant topics. You will be expected to contribute actively to the education of junior doctors, specialty trainees and fellows on the team. You will also be expected to help in the training of nursing and multi-disciplinary staff in both in-patient and outpatient departments.
• CLINICAL GOVERNANCE: You will be expected to participate in all relevant aspects of clinical governance, including maintaining up to date protocols, guidelines and clinical audit, under the supervision of the other consultants in the experimental cancer medicine team.
• AUDIT: You will play a full role in clinical audit as a member of The Christie Medical Staff Committee. You will develop, supervise and deliver team audit projects.

Continuing Professional Development
The Trust supports the requirements for continuing professional development (CPD) as laid down by the GMC and surgical colleges and is committed to providing time and financial support for these activities.

Role Planning
This is a 10 session non-training specialty registrar funded through The Christie NHS Foundation Trust for an initial period of 1 year.

Person specification

Qualifications/Educational

Essential criteria

• Completion of Foundation medical training/ internship or acute care common Stem programme (or equivalent)

• Completion of CMT training or CCT in Medical Oncology or equivalent
• Good Clinical Practice
• Advanced Life Support
• Higher degree in cancer research
• MRCP or equivalent

• Evidence of productive ethical research relevant to oncology
• Recent publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Conference presentations

• Experience in general oncology and internal medicine
• Research/Trials experience

• Experience in managing critically ill patients

• Evidence of clinical leadership skills
• Experience of developing, supervising and delivering audit projects

• Experience of Phase I clinical trials

• Experience in teaching undergraduates/ postgraduates
• Teaching Qualification

• Evidence of clinical skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Flexibility, commitment and team work with colleagues and staff in the department
• Ability to work under pressure

• Demonstration of excellent communication skills

The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.

We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.

We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.

All positions within the Christie are subject to the receipt of satisfactory written references, medical clearance and evidence of your Right to Work in the UK. Some roles will require a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Please note if you are successfully appointed to a post with this Trust, you will be required to pay for your own DBS Disclosure.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.

The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

Overseas candidates wishing to apply for this position and who would require immigration sponsorship, may wish to self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the post on the UKVI website.

You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• JD - PS (PDF, 365.1KB)
• The Christie Values and Behaviours (PDF, 919.5KB)
• Strategy Brochure (PDF, 1.0MB)
• Trust Membership - Christie Talent (PDF, 23.0KB)
• Travel to The Christie (PDF, 3.8MB)